Microanatomy – Respiratory,

cardiovascular system and lymphatic

organs
Respiratory system
Nasal cavity – H&E No. 75

• from nostrils to choanae, divided

by nasal septum (made of hyaline
cartilage ant. + bone post.)
• lateral wall: superior, middle and
inferior conchae with the
respectively meatus
• divides it in 3 chambers: vestibule
(a - wide portion just behind the
nostrils), respiratory (b) and
olfactory (c)
• T. mucosa:
– l. ep. – a) strat. sq.nonkeratinized –
b) pseudostrat. ciliated columnar –
c) olfactory epithelium
– l. propria – a) sebaceous glands, -
b) 5 cells: Ciliated, goblet, brush,
small granule and basal cells – c)
olfactory (bipolar neurons),
supporting, basal, brush cells
• T. muscularis: cartilage, bone and
muscles
 Larynx – H&E No. 79

• is the passageway between

oropharynx and trachea
• composed of hyaline (thyroid,
cricoid, arytenoid) and elastic
(epiglottis) cartilage
• phonation organ -> vestibular folds
(false) and vocal folds (real)
• T. mucosa:
– l. ep. – above vocal folds = strat. sq.
nonkeratinized
below = pseudostrat. columnar
ciliated
– l. propria – mucous glands and elastic
cartilage
– l. submucosa – elastic membrane,
mixed glands
• T. muscularis: connective tissue,
striated muscle (cricothyroid),
cartilage (hyaline, elastic, 1 fibrous)
• T. adventitia
• short, flexible air tube
(10cm) from larynx till
bifurcation into right and
left primary bronchi
• T. mucosa:
– l. ep. – pseudostrat.
columnar ciliated
– l. propria – all respiratory
cells (ciliated columnar,
mucous (goblet), basal,
brush and small granule
cells
– tela submucosa – elastic
membrane, mixed glands
• T. muscularis: cartilage
(hyaline) and smooth
muscle on posterior side
• T. adventitia
Pulmo
No. 48
No. 48a

• principal bronchi -> lobar bronchi ->

segemental bronchi -> terminal bronchi ->
lobular bronchiole -> terminal bronchiole ->
respiratory bronchiole + Alveoli
• T. mucosa:
– l. ep. – pseudostrat. ciliated columnar / 8
cell types (Ciliated, goblet, serous, Clara =
surface-active agent, undifferentiated
basal, intermediate epitheliocytes, brush
and dense core granulated cells)
l. ep. – (for terminal bronchiole) simple
cuboidal (+ Clara cells)
– l. propria – tubulo-acinar, mucoserous
glands
l. propria (for t.b.) no glands
• T. muscularis: discontinous cartilage plates
that become smaller down the bronchial
tree / smooth muscle
(for t.b.) no cartilage / smooth muscle +
elastic fibers
• T. adventitia: dense connnective tissue
 • the respiratory unit
(respiratory bronchiole,
alveolar duct, alveolar sac,
alveoles) allows gas exchange
• alveolar epithelium is
composed of type I
(pneumocytes 95% - form
barrier) and type II (cuboidal,
Embryonal lung surfactant) alveolocytes and
some brush cells
• between alveoli are alveolar
phagocytes (dust cells)
• respiratory membrane (air-
blood-barrier)
• 3 phases in perinatal
development: glandular (1-16
week), canalicular (at about
16th week) and alveolar (24-
birth)
• embryonal lung look like the
alveolar saccs are „closed“
Cardio-vascular system
• 3 layers of the hear wall:
– endocardium: l. ep. – simple sq. = endothelium / l.
propria – subendothelium (elastic fibers, loose
connective tissue, Purkinje fibers)
– myocardium: cardiac muscle cells arranged in
complex spirals (2 layers for atrium -> external as a
common layer that depolarizes both sides and
internal for each atrium / 3 layers for ventricle ->
the external turns inside at the vortex cordis and
forms the inner most layer)
Conducting system of the heart
– Epicardium (visceral layer of pericardium): l. ep. –
simple sq. = mesothelium / submesothelium
(contains coronary vessels)
• visceral pericardium continuous with the serous
layer of parietal pericardium -> enclose the
pericardial cavity
 Cardiac skeleton: dense connective tissue – 3
main components:
• annuli fibrosi (around base of aorta,
pulmonary artery and av-orifices)
• trigonum fibrosum (cuspal area of aortic valve)
• septum membranaceum (upper portion of
interventricular septum
Heart valves: 3 layers -> core of each cusp ,
atrial layer, ventricular layer (chorda tendinae)

impulse conducting cells / Sinoatrial node

(SA-node) -> Atrioventricular node (AV-
node) -> Bundle of His -> Purkinje fibers
 • 3 separate layers: Tunica intima,
media, adventitia
– Intima: simple sq. (endothelial cells),
subendothelial connective tissue
above internal elastic lamina
– Media: thickest layer, smooth muscles
cells with some elastic fibers and
collagen
Vessels above external elastic lamina
capillaries and venules have no t.
media (instead pericytes)
– Adventitia: mostly fibroblasts,
collagen fibers and elastic fibers
• Vasa vasorum: the muscular wall of
larger blood vessels need blood
supply -> t. media + t. adventitia
prevent diffusion
Veins have more cells, less
oxygenated blood  more vasa
vasorum
• Vessel types: Arteries (blood away
from heart), veins (blood to heart),
capillaries (oxygen and nutrition
exchange)
 • Artery: (big = elastic, middle = muscular, small =
arterioles
– T. intima -> endothelium = simple sq.,
subendothelium = >> elastic fibers
– membrana elastica interna (foldings)
– T. media -> loose connective tissue, smooth muscle,
elastic fibers
– membrana elastica externa (more straight)
– T. adventitia -> elastic fibers, vasa vasorum
• Venes: (1. sinuses, 2. brain venes, 3. limb venes,
Aorta – H&E No. 50 4. large venes, 5. venules)
Artery and vein – H&E – T. intima -> same as artery
No. 54 – membrane
– T. media -> differs for different types of venes (1.
without muscles, 2. small amount muscles, 3. circular
muscle layer with valves – pumping)
– membrane
– T. adventitia -> same (4. longitudinal muscle layer )
Lymphatic organs
• kidney-shaped organ in groups (filters against
microorganism)
• hilum – artery (enters), vein and efferent lymphatic vessel
(leave)
• each consist of capsule (collagen fibers, smooth muscle
cells, elastic fibers), stroma (reticular tissue) and
parenchyma (lymphocytes) arranged in cortex and medulla
• Lymphocytes: B (from lymph follicles in cortex) and T (in
deep zone/T-zone and take part in medullary cords)
• Cortex: outer part – lymphocytes, dendritic cell, follicular
dendritic cells, macrophages, plasma cells
– superficial zone (outer cortex): lymphatic follicels (primary and
secondary)
– deep cortex (inner cortex): T lymphocytes (T-depend zone)
• Medulla: inner part – medullary cords and medullary
sinuses, which converge toward the hilum -> draining in
efferent lymphatic vessel
• largest lymphatic organ (generalized immune response against
infection)
• site of destruction of many RBCs
• in the left hypochondric region, diaphragmatic and visceral
surface
• at hilum the capsule gives rise to trabeculae that carry nerves
+ arteries into splenic pulp (pulp has no lymph vessels!)
• surrounded by peritoneum, thick fibrous capsile (T. serosa)
with smooth muscle cells -> send trabeculae into organ
• interior is splenic pulp: white and red
– white: thick accumulation of lymphatic tisse (Malpighian body)
surrounding an artery (A. centralis) with T-zone (directly around
artery), germinal center, mantle zone (inner) and marginal zone
(outer)
– red: reticular tissue with splenic cords and venous sinusoids
• blood supply: splenic artery -> trabecular artery -> central
artery -> penicillar arterioles -> arterial capillaries -> sinusoids
-> trabecular vein -> pulp vein (closed and open circulation
• tonsils are pharyngeal (1), tubal (2)  pseudostrat.
columnar ciliated epithelium and palatine (2), lingual
(1)  strat. sq. nonkeratinized epithelium
– palatine: between palatoglossal – palatopharyngeal arches
– tubal: lateral wall of nasopharynx
– lingual: posterior 1/3 of tongue
– nasopharyngeal: roof of nasopharynx
• entrace of respiratory and digestive systems –
respond immunologically
• palatine tonsils are bilateral almond-shaped, have
internally network of connective tissue septa and
fibers, sometimes tonsillar crypts, lateral surface is
linde by dense connective tissue – capsule
• beneath the epithelium are lymphatic follicles (B- and
T-lymphocytes
• stroma consists of reticular fibers
• located in superior part
of anterior mediastinum,
flattened, bilobed organ
• connective tissue
capsile (penetrates into
parenchyma and divide
into lobules) • stroma consists of branching
epithelial reticular cells (not
fibers!)
• cortex: densely packed
lymphocytes (T without follicle)
• medulla: epithelial reticullar cells
are 6 types – Type 6 form the
Hassall‘s corpuscle (spindle-
shaped, flattened cells)
• blood-thymus barrier -> protects
developing lymphocytes from
exposure to antigens
– continuous endothelium,
macrophages and Type 1 epithelial
cells
• T-lymphocyte proliferation
• can be stimulated by hormones
(ACTH, Somatotrofin)